Yahya Mahayni

EARLY LIFE

Yahya Mahayni was born in Syria and grew up between Damascus, Paris, and Montreal. He has an older brother, Zeid, and an older sister, Zeina. In interviews, he has described his early exposure to performance as entertaining his family, joking and performing for his siblings. He did not initially pursue acting professionally in a formal way and has spoken of encountering obstacles early on when trying to secure meaningful roles. He later trained at Acting International in Paris (2013–2014). He is a polyglot, fluent in Arabic, English, French, Spanish, and Italian. He is currently based in France

CAREER

Mahayni began with short films and theatre in the mid-2010s after training in Paris. Early credits include the short Al en vers (2015), the feature Opium (2016), Emptiness (2018, directed by Yoann Suberviolle — a personal project dealing with loss), Bengué (2019), and writing work on the short Fearless Girl (2019). He also appeared in theatre, including La mort du roi Giban. His breakthrough came with the leading role of Sam Ali, a Syrian refugee, in Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania’s The Man Who Sold His Skin (2020). The film premiered in the Orizzonti section of the 77th Venice International Film Festival, where Mahayni won the Orizzonti Award for Best Actor. The film was nominated for Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards. Critics praised his performance (TIME magazine described it as “fiery and soulful”). Subsequent and recent work includes: The Strangers’ Case / I Was a Stranger (2024, Brandt Andersen; Berlinale premiere) as Mustafa Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints (2024) as John the Baptist (lead in Episode 2) and a supporting role related to Francis of Assisi Al Zind: Thi’b Al Assi (2023 TV series) Palestine 36 (2025, Annemarie Jacir) as Al Qawuqji Zero A.D. / Bethlehem (2026, Alejandro Monteverde) as Mordecai Upcoming: The Assassin (Season 2, Amazon), Mawlana (TV series), and reports of involvement in Mel Gibson’s The Resurrection of the Christ (slated later) He continues to work across international independent and higher-profile productions.

PERSONAL LIFE

Mahayni keeps his personal life private. His father passed away shortly after the completion of the short film Emptiness, a project that held personal significance for him related to themes of loss and grief. He has spoken about periods of stepping away from acting when the work did not feel meaningful before returning for major opportunities.

Mahayni is noted for bringing emotional depth and authenticity to complex roles involving displacement, identity, and moral dilemmas.